TUSCALOOSA, Alabama –The Student Rental Housing Task Force created by Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox held their first meeting Wednesday afternoon to nominate leadership, discuss the past, present and future of student housing in the city and develop a schedule for their future meetings.

The 16 member group, which Maddox created with his first and only executive order in 2013 so far, will analyze and evaluate the student housing markets in the area and advise city leadership on what actions, if any, they should take to address housing trends.

Maddox opened the meeting by thanking the members of the group for their public service and stressing the need for objectivity as they make their recommendations.

“Please be objective. This committee is not designed to have a conclusion already in mind,” Maddox said. “Whatever recommendation that you make, a lot of people may not be happy with it, but you’re serving your community, and that’s an honor and a privilege.”

After two task force chairmen were nominated but declined to accept the title, Bill Wright, a member of the city’s planning commission, accepted a nomination and was unanimously voted in as leader of the group. Linda Ford, a member of Tuscaloosa’s zoning board of adjustment commission, accepted the title of vice chairman.

Bill Wright, a member of Tuscaloosa's planning commission, was unanimously elected to lead the city's new student rental task force during its inaugural meeting Wednesday afternoon. (Stephen Dethrage | al.com)

Linda Ford, who sits on the city's zoning board of adjustment, was elected to be the task force's vice chair. (Stephen Dethrage | al.com)

City Planner John McConnell said the city is primarily concerned with over-saturation of the market. Dozens of complexes marketed for students of the University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State already exist in the city and several more are in varying stages of development. One committee member, Robert Parsons, said by his rough estimation, as many as 6,000 surplus beds exist in complexes in the area. He added that another area business leader, Stephen Rumsey, calculated that number to be as high as 12,000.

Both Maddox and McConnell said they’ve been expecting a decline in the market for years as the needs of students were met, but instead, it continues to grow. It’s time, McConnell said, to evaluate the issue and ask serious questions about the future of the market.

“How much housing do we have now and how much do we need?” McConnell asked. “Why are large scale projects being proposed for Tuscaloosa when current housing studies suggest we’re over-saturated? Is this a bubble similar to our housing market collapse in the last decade, is that something we’re headed toward? What does the future hold for universities and college? Will they see a decline in student populations?”

The research of the task force may lead to drastic action being taken, but McConnell called a moratorium on new complexes a last resort that would require hard and clear evidence showing its necessity.

The task force decided in their inaugural meeting to assemble every two weeks, and will meet at city hall every other Wednesday afternoon for the next few months, beginning August 21. Maddox has asked that they present their findings and suggestions to the city council in early November, but McConnell said the priority would be on thorough research and educated decisions, so if the task force needs more time, their deadline could be extended.

The task force also discussed the need for student input in their decision and talked about the possibility of nominating one or more to the task force, which has room for four more members that can be added as deemed necessary. Julie Elmore, the University of Alabama's assistant director of off-campus and greek housing, said she had a student in mind who could provide insight to the group, and if they were interested in sitting on the task force, she would nominate them at the group's meeting.